My, What Big Ears You Have

Wishing everyone a splendid pastel-colored Easter weekend! Miss Fortuna bunny ears headpiece from the very chic Benoit Missolin, Paris.

In the Bag

In the spirit of giving green this holiday season, I always try to find gifts that are imaginative and recycled if possible. Jenny Adams, a handbag designer from Santa Barbara has just launched an e-shop offering these beautiful one-of-a-kind handbags made from recycled, vintage and new fabrics. I really love the retro print on the top bag shown and her prices are very reasonable. I've been assured many more bags will be added to the shop in the next few days, so have a look while trying to survive Christmas preparation and maybe do a little shopping!

Tiny Travelers

I know these are for kids but I so want an orange one! These mini vintage styled suitcases are from the Land of Nod and would make for a very good studio storage container.

Got Wood?

I seem to be finding quite a few faux bois 'objects of desire' lately and these slim wallets make me wish I could fit all my stuff into one. I love the simplicity and of course the faux bois embossing, a great holiday gift for any stylish guy on your list. Available from Evergreen.

Yearning for Fall

By this time every year, I start looking longingly at my dusty pile of firewood, long unused here in Southern California and yearn for cooler weather. Anything below 80º would be nice, quite frankly. I love to bundle up in the fall and winter with any one of the dozens of scarves I've amassed over the years. What I don’t have is a faux bois scarf and I am ordering one of these today from the delightful shop of RCA graduate Donna Wilson who creates beautiful and humorous knit home furnishings, accessories & bizarre stuffed dolls. Loving the wood-patterned throw too!

Fanged

Along with millions of other viewers, I am completely smitten with True Blood on HBO. These little baby silver fang rings have just the right amount of Goth attitude. Subtle but sharp, available from Bittersweets. Now if only Eric the vampire came along in the package…oh my!

Collared

Lately I’ve been a bit obsessed with modern takes on jewelry and this wool felt collar necklace from Etsy seller Nervous System made my heart skip a beat. This lacy necklace is laser cut from wool felt and features an organic pattern of shifting ovals with three snap settings allowing for adjustable fit. So chic and so graphic!

Kicking It

Reebok has released two new tribute sneakers for their Fall collection in honor of the great artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The Fall 2009 Basquiat Reebok Collection consists of two models, the Ex-O-Fit-Hi and Freestyle Hi and has the artists' imagery from two of his paintings — Untitled (sometimes called Crown or Beatbop), 1983 and Pegasus, 1987. Available from Colette. I LOVE the black high-tops!

This Skull's for You

Made me smile, these crocheted skulls and argyle skull socks. The crocheted skulls are from Dewy Decimal Crafts on Etsy and the socks are from Oberon Socks. These are for you Cece at Revolution Malibu, a woman who loves all things skull-like.

Bunny Hop

Very reminiscent of a Mark Ryden painting, this pleather wallet by Dumpling Dynasty has a whole bucket of vintage charm and just a touch of the bizarre. I get a great visual every time I take out my wallet to pay for something and costing only $18, this is a true great find. Dumpling Dynasty was created by illustrator Fiona Hewitt and expert in Asian Kitschology, Andy Tainton. The Dumpling Dynasty brand was inspired by years spent living in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong, endlessly trawling the flea markets and junk shops for inspiration.

I’m All Ears

Normally I do not care for protruding things on my rings since I am extremely clumsy and just can see an accident waiting to happen. The Mickey Mouse Ears ring in oxidized silver might just change my mind. I love anything well-designed and with a sense of humor. It is worth noting how good it looks on the hand. $121, from Pixie Market.

Arm Candy

Another beautiful example of nature-inspired body adornments is this bangle from Lazerian. Made from high quality polypropylene and brass fittings, this piece is beautiful, modern and visually stunning. Lazerian is a creative practice that began in 2006, set up by Liam Hopkins, a Manchester born designer. Based in an ex-hat factory in Manchester, the practice is focused on the creation of functional objects through playful investigation of materials and processes, and seeks to imbue objects with a bit of soul. The company works on a variety of projects, including furniture, interiors, and jewelry. 

Forces of Nature

After spending eight days surrounded by nothing but nature and water in Kauai, I’ll admit reentry into my life in the city has been greeted with not too much enthusiasm on my part. All I can think about is the exotic colors and shapes of tropical flowers and the beautiful designs of sea life I saw in tide pools. Which leads me to introduce Iris Saar Isaacs and Jane Barwick of InSync Design, two Australian designers taking contemporary jewelry to a new level. Fresh, modern and drawn from botanicals and graphic design, these beautiful powder-coated stainless steel pieces are a breath of fresh air! I am in love with their bangles and those poppy earrings. Check out more at InSync.

Ball and Chain

Loving this jack and carnelian ball necklace from Docent. Headed up by Creative Director Cora Thomas, her pieces are darkly humorous and playful. The jewelry is created from antique brass, enameling and custom-made materials.

Urban Textures

As a graphic designer, I've always been drawn to textures from nature and the urban landscape. This very cool minimalist wallet from Porte Monnaie has a chalk colorway with distress marks which I just am in love with! It's almost looks like concrete as well — made with locally sourced leathers, natural dyes and a high density polyethylene make it completely recyclable. Check it out here.

Fashion Forward

Another peek at the future from Chanel, the Perspex Briefcase. Also love what's going on with the fingerless gloves and things stuffed into them and of course still rocking those jade green nails. Interesting look & concept for a bag, Mr. Lagerfeld!

Cuffed in Vinyl

WRecords by Monkey uses reclaimed vinyl records to create cuffs that are artwork for the wrist. They offer a huge range of designs and sizes as well as earrings, necklaces, rings and t-shirts. Music & fashion meet on the arm.

Pantone 1963

Just love these new sneaks from SeaVees! With the creation of their 09/63 collection, SeaVees celebrates the founding of Pantone, and the release of the first PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM in September 1963. For the first time in their 45 year history, Pantone has allowed an external design team into their hallowed archives. SeaVees has selected seven vintage colors from the original Pantone color guide. The palette, chosen from the only authentic guide known to exist, epitomizes the cool, casual style of California in 1963. The series production has been restricted to 1,963 pairs. Get them here.

Fashioned by Fairies

I just discovered this amazing source for very wearable jewelry from the NY Times. The treasures in Peter Adler’s Pebble London’s space is a fashionista's paradise, stocked with exotic and colorful necklaces, bangles, rings, earrings and decorative objects. Most of the pieces are made with beads, faceted stones, seeds, pearls, wood, shells and metal. The shop luckily is now online and you could spend hours going through all the pieces. I love the bracelet shown above, it looks as if it was made by fairies from bits of silk and found jewelry parts in the forest. I’m really loving the tribal looking studded cuffs too.

Numerology

Beautiful laptop/tote embossed with numerals from the Didot alphabet. Designed by Assouline for Cole Haan.